CHA racquetmen edged by Friends Central

by TOM UTESCHER

You could make a strong case that tennis squads have suffered more than any other spring sports teams during the spate of rain-outs over the last month.

When Chestnut Hill Academy's Blue Devils hosted Friends Central last Monday, it was only their second match of the season, and the previous one had been played back on March 24.

The Devils (0-2) and the visiting Phoenix (4-0) each won two singles matches and one doubles bout during their recent encounter, and Friends Central prevailed in three sets in the other doubles contest to come away with a 4-3 victory.

The temperature was in the mid-80's, and a strong breeze blew cross-court on the singles courts, and over the baseline on the doubles plots. Evidently, this didn't bother Chestnut Hill's Reid Carleton in the slightest. The Blue Devils' freshman number one glided past FC senior Joey Silver, 6-1, 6-1, and at second singles host Stephen Biggans took a 6-3, 6-4 decision from Elias Friedman of the Phoenix.

Friends Central was more successful in the other two singles matches, however, with number three Jason Sheltzer getting by CHA's Cameron Silbert, 6-2, 6-3, and with Aaron Lipshutz winning 6-2, 6-4 over Chestnut Hill number four Jon Salem.

At first doubles, visitors Eric Zeiger and Sam Eisner quickly secured a 6-2, 6-0 victory against Tony Salem and Josh Grossman of the Blue Devils, giving Friends Central a 3-2 edge in the team score and leaving the second and third doubles bouts as the last two matches still in progress.

The end-to-end gusts of wind affected players from both schools, as every so often a shot sailed well high or wide of the court boundaries. The team score was tied briefly at 3-3 after CHA's Joe Rosen and Mike Beautyman finished off FC's Eric Nissenbaum and Josh Abel in third doubles, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4. At second doubles, Mike Biggans and Bob Goldman opened with a 6-4 win, then in the following set visitors Noah Bachow and Noah Hecht prevailed, 6-1. The third round went to the Friends Central duo at 6-4, clinching the overall win for the Phoenix.